Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.) and Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a joint statement Wednesday calling on colleagues to “swiftly pass” sanctions legislation against Russia in response to its latest airstrike against Kyiv.
Tillis and Shaheen accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of escalating the war by launching a massive drone and cruise missile attack over the weekend that damaged a key government building in Kyiv.
And more than 20 civilians were killed in the Donbas region by a Russian bomb as they lined up to receive pension payments.
“At the very moment Putin escalates, the United States appears to be cutting back. Programs like Section 333 security cooperation, which includes the Baltic Security Initiative — lifelines for NATO’s eastern flank — are now on the chopping block, even as Europe takes on more of the burden,” they said.
“Putin has shown us time and again that he is a liar and a murderer. He never wanted peace. Congress should swiftly pass legislation that imposes crippling sanctions on Putin’s regime and cement continued U.S. military support to Ukraine and NATO’s Eastern Flank,” they said.
The senators said the latest Russian strikes included more than 800 drones and missiles, making it the largest aerial assault since the invasion began in 2022. It set Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers on fire and killed civilians.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have sponsored legislation that would place heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas.
The measure has 85 Senate cosponsors.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) says senators are having discussions about the sanctions legislation and predicted it could pass before Thanksgiving.
The measure was referred to the Senate Banking Committee in April but has not moved since then.
